Family, Friends, Futebol
“Your Portuguese is 99%. How did you learn to speak it?” I can’t get enough of these compliments, even if it came from the husband […]
Maravilhosa
Rio is known as the “Cidade Maravilhosa” and it really is marvelous. I’ve been here many times and it never gets old. The rain forest-covered […]
Goodbye for Now, Casa Maren
“Tim, thank you for everything. With you, I was happy. You were my favorite teacher.” Wow, how could I not be overwhelmed with joy after […]
Ecstatic
“There’s an ecstatic dance just across the way,” my new friend Lily told me as we were strolling through the small market at Zafra, a […]
Fellow Activists
Last Sunday morning, when I normally am participating in the Westerly Anti-Racism Coalition weekly gathering, I noticed fellow activists gathering outside of the church on […]
Another Lost Gringo?
Note: There’s still time to donate to Fundación Poder Joven where I’m volunteering. See my previous two posts for more details. Thank you to those […]
La Voz
It took me awhile, but I slowly began to realize how important the talent show was to the staff and kids at Casa Maren, where […]
La Finca
“Profe, there’s three tunnels we’re going to pass through!” my seat mate excitedly told me as we headed out of Medellín with thirty kids from […]
Goals, Bachata, and a Rock
I planned on writing about other Medellín topics but my mind keeps coming back to these kids at Fundación Poder Joven, so here we go […]
Precious Moments
“Profe, sit next to me,” Nicole said in Spanish as she presented me with a small plastic chair. She wanted to practice English while eating […]
It’s All about the Jeeps
The two Dutch women across from me were telling stories about their year camping in New Zealand. The couple from Melbourne related their own Kiwi […]
Don’t Read This
Just look at the pictures Sorry about the clickbait. I was stressing about what to write for my first blog post of this three-month journey. […]
Good Problems to Have
“Are you going to another country tomorrow?” That’s what my grandson asked me, on the verge of tears, when I came back from Mexico last […]
A Powerful Lesson: Teaching with African American Art
“Across Hope is living rent free in my head right now. I think that is quite possibly one of the most profound works of art […]
The Real Reason Why Cheap Travel is So Rewarding
I do love a good bargain and I can’t get enough of traveling, so finding cheap ways to travel is a bit of an addiction. […]
I’ll Come With You
Our favorite waiter, Agusto, at our favorite rooftop restaurant in Pátzcuaro was the latest person to say, “I’ll come with you,” when we let him […]